Military Monday: Holiday Cheer

I know it is a little late and I have already posted about canned cakes (refer to Military Monday: Cake in a Jar) but I thought I would post this to give some ideas how you can bring the holidays to your marine!


I used fabric for the lids, wrapped the edges with ribbon, tied ribbon around the VIAs and used scrap-booking paper for name cards. You may think they will think the cutesy stuff is cheesy, but the truth is they like it, makes them feel like home came to them, even if they never admit it, it's true. They like it.  

Cakes in Jars, Frosting, and Starbucks Mocha VIAs

Canned Baked Gingerbread, and Canned Baked Pumpkin Bread

Starbucks VIA: instant coffee. Flavors: Mocha. Carmel, Cinnamon, and Vanilla

Canned Baked Yellow Cake with Autumn trimmings 

above view of jars 

Military Monday: Rubbing (Worry) Stone

   Here is a good thing for both the spouse left behind and the the marine deployed. It's called a "Rubbing Stone" or a "Worry Stone". Apparently there are a lot of kinds of "special" Worry Stones with spiritual implications, but I personally don't believe it so the purpose is some what different for me.  Let me back up and give yo some background.

A few months into deployment my husband, Ben, told me about something he had heard from another buddy with him that he was going to do. His buddy told him of an American Indian story about when warriors left for a battle or a hunt. They would be gone for weeks or months at a time when hunting. So the warrior would pick out a stone and rub it every time they were missing there loved ones. They rubbed it so much that is would get a deep divot in it from there thumb rubbing it so much. And when they returned to there loved ones they would show them how deep the divot got on the stone. Showing them how often the warrior thought of them and missed them. 

I researched this story and could only find and alternate one. It is from a book by: Marianna Dengler, called "The Worry Stone". This legend is about 

a young woman's, Tokatu, husband, Akima, died on 

their wedding day. Tokatu never remarried, and cried at her 

husband's 

gravesite each year on the anniversary of their marriage and of Akima's death. When Tokatu died an old woman, the women of the village buried her next to Akima. On his grave, they found small, smooth stones,Tears of Tokatu, and the Chumash came to believe that these stones had the power to ease people's troubles...

So the latter story is a little nicer for those of us in a deployed situation, but I thought I would give both examples.

Anyway, back to Ben, he told me the story about the Indian warrior

 then he told me that he had picked out a stone. And every time he 

missed me and was stressed he would grab the 

stone and rub it or just hold it and think of me. When he came for R&R a few months ago he gave me that stone. It didn't have a divot in it 

but it was very smooth. He told me it wasn't 

that smooth when he picked it out, but it was now. 

Now I have the stone. At first it just sat on my night stand, but about a month after R&R I was missing Ben extremely bad. So I grabbed his rubbing stone. I didn't some much rub is as much as I just held it. Something about the weight and the reality of the stone in my hand 

made me calmer and feel closer to Ben. Ben told me that the stone he gave me literally held 

his blood, sweat, and tears. Also it means a lot to because it is from the land where he is 

deployed, Afghanistan, so I am holding many pieces of him with me. I honestly didn't think a 

stone could comfort me but it does! When we get our home I plan to put the stone in a shadow box and and hang it in the house. I don't believe the stone has any spiritual and healing 

powers  what so ever, but it helps!

Me and my Rubbing Stone from Ben

So take from this what you will. It may sound a little 

strange and you may not want to try it! But we do crazy 

things when we are going through deployments. This is 

something you can try a little less crazy!    

Military Monday: Wrap and Decorate His Package from the Inside.

Birthday Decorate Box

       So one day I wanted to make Bens package real special I wanted to put more time and love in his package then just the things I filled it with. It's one thing buying special goodies for him it's another to make things for him. But at the same time I didn't want to send him things that would just pile up and take up space then we would have to pay to send it all back. What was a girl to do? 


Wondering what to do, to give him more of me, make him smile, and feel me closer, I got online ans started Googling and finally found it! Why not wrap his package on the inside? Especially the lid flaps! 

Anniversary Decorated Box

Theres lots of stuff you can do!


- write notes to him/her


- get scrap booking stickers


- pictures of the two of you or the kids


-wrapping paper
               - Birthday
               - Holidays
              - Anniversary


- Anything that gets you creative












Hope this helps you show him how much you love him! Even better don't tell him you did it and he will be very pleasantly surprised of what you did!

Anniversary Decorated Box

Anniversary Decorated Box

Anniversary Decorated Box

Military Monday: Cake in a Jar

I did this for my husband back in May for his birthday. He needed a birthday cake so I sent him one! It was so easy. And when he got it he said it was as if it just came out of the oven! It was great because of coarse it's hot over there and the cake stayed moist and I added chocolate chips so you can imagine how it looked! You could even make little ones and put a little tag on each one with his buddies names on it! 

These directions talk about little jars but it works well in any size just as long as you make sure it is a straight sided jar! He will not be expecting a home baked cake from you, it will make his day. Don't forget to put a can of is favorite frosting and some sprinkles in the box. And be sure to bubble wrap the jar. And don't forget forks and knives.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cake-in-a-jar/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 8 straight-sided wide-mouth pint canning jars with lids and rings  

Directions

1. Prepare the cake according to package instructions, or use any cake recipe.
2. In pint size, straight-sided wide-mouth jars, put 1 cup of batter in each greased jar. Make sure to keep the rims of the jars clean. Put in preheated oven 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place jars on a cookie sheet to keep from tipping over while baking.
3. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
4. While they are baking, have your jar lids boiling in a pan of water. When the cake is done, take one jar out at a time and add the hot lid and screw on your jar ring and let set and cool.
5. It will seal as it cools. Place the jars on the counter and listen for them to 'ping' as they seal. If you miss the 'ping', wait until they are completely cool and press on the top of the lid. If it doesn't move at all, it's sealed.
6. After it cools it will pull away from the jar and when you are ready to eat, open and pop out the cake and enjoy.
7. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored in a freezer.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/cake-in-a-jar/Detail.aspx

Wood stove, Football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles

Last night was a cool night and more importantly the first official football game of the season was on last night too! The Saints vs. The Vikings, Saints won. No wood stove burning last night, but it was cold enough. Earlier in the evening I had lit moms new Pumpkin Spice candle in the kitchen to set the mood for the evening.


It all took me back to Monday Night Football when I was a little girl. Monday night was usually a big homework night, bath night and to bed by 8:00pm. All of these goings ons serenaded by the "enthralling" football game on the t.v. playing in the background. I don't think, as a child, I could fall asleep without the sounds of the last hour of the football game lulling me to sleep. Or sit in a nice southing bubble bath without the refs whistles blow echoing from the living room. Or laying on the living room floor doing my homework only stopping when the commercials came on. Such was life on Monday night in the Garris household. I don't think any of us watched real hard or close unless of coarse it was the Seahawks or the 49'ers or our own family rivals,the teams of  our cousins, the Packers or the Rams. The game was just there, a comfort if you will, a reminder that all was home, safe and comfortable.


The pattern of Monday night was predictable in the fall. My sister and I would immediately enjoy the last lights of the cool fall day until it was dinner time or to dark to play. Eat a yummy dinner then start in on homework all the while enjoying the comforting sounds of helmets and bone smashing together in the background. By 7 someone was in taking their bath enjoying the crowds rower echo threw the house to the bathroom. All the while hearing the occasional creek of the wood stove door swinging and the banging of wood being put in the fire to keep it a blaze. While the second bath taker was enjoying the bubbles and warm water the first got something very special; plopped in Daddy's lap all clean and in jamies  so he can brush your hair. The best part of the whole night was siting in his lap while he brushed my hair the way only daddy could all the while answering my many questions about football and who were the "good guys" and who where the "bad guys". After both my sister and I had been cleaned changed and brushed we were sent of to bed! It never took long to fall asleep on Monday nights. To this day no one can lull me to sleep like Michaels and Madden, the commentators of the game. Just the sounds of their voices can make me does off. I remember  the soft light that the lamps from the living room would cat down the hall, I imagined mom and dad siting together watching the last minutes of the game as I fell asleep.


Now where does the Pumpkin Spice Candle play into all this? Well mom may not have always had a candle burning, when I was real little that was hardly the case, but she did have all the fall decor out and was probably in the kitchen baking something yummy. Poppy Seed bread, banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, zucchini bread (with chocolate chips) and the list goes on and on. So the smells of baked goods is a must on Monday nights.


In all this to my dismay there is no longer Monday Night football on local channels. So no more cozy Monday nights. So even though last night was Thursday it was a Monday night to me! I miss those days. We were such a happy little family! Now we're all grown up (even mom and dad) and running this way and that. But I think in our memories we will always have our wood stoves, football, and Pumpkin Spice Candles.  

For Dinner Tonight

Spicy Asian Noodles in Peanut Sauce

what you need

1/2 cup KRAFT Original Barbecue Sauce

1 cup  PLANTERS Dry Roasted Peanuts, divided

1 tsp. Crushed red pepper

1 cup  Chicken broth

2 tsp. Oil, divided

1-1/2 lb.  Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 medium Onion, sliced

1 medium  Red pepper, cut into strips

8 oz. Spaghetti, uncooked

1/4 cup  chopped cilantro

make it

PLACE barbecue sauce, 3/4 cup of the peanuts, the crushed red pepper and broth in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

HEAT 1 tsp. of the oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 5 min. or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove from skillet; keep warm. Add remaining 1 tsp. oil to skillet. Add onions and red peppers; cook 5 min. or until crisp-tender.

MEANWHILE, cook spaghetti as directed on package. Drain spaghetti; add immediately to skillet with chicken. Remove from heat; toss with peanut sauce to coat completely. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve topped with remaining 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/spicy-asian-noodles-in-108639.aspx

Tasting Party

So, I am totally suddenly obsessed with Pier 1's new Tasting Party line! I am slowly collecting the sets and doubling a few. I can't wait to create a whole party with these sets. Pier 1 also provides recipe cards in the box and online! 

They have  everything you can think of! From Drinks to dessert to soup (for a cold winters night). I think my first one may be a more laid 
back one. It will be in the fall though so lots of comfort foods! 

But my next party for sure is going to be a Cocktail Party! Chic and classy! I want to get all dressed up! Probably will only be a girls party. Like I could see a bunch of military guys willing to get dressed up for fun! 

On top of all of this you can watch your waist line and still be satisfied! Everybody gets to try a little bit of everything! 

The only bummer thing is you have A LOT of dishes to wash (but thats what the hubbies for right) If you think about it thats not a lot of food in the end it just looks like and so very classy! 

So any way just so excited to show everyone and maybe you can get into too! I'm sure I'll be talking all about my amazing tasting parties soon!






Here are the links to recipes and the Pier 1 web page:
http://www.pier1.com/TopMenu/GetInspired/TastingParty/tabid/889/Default.aspx